Page 57 of Poison Touch


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Maybe Eden and Bryce can save me from this commitment, and the three of us can go together, if that’s something they’re into. A Halloween party doesn’t seem like the kind of thing Bryce would miss.

“Josh, huh?”

I look over my shoulder to see Edge. He hasn’t spoken to me all week, and now he’s confronting me about Josh. What gives? I start to walk backward toward my class as I stare at him. His form and stature are the complete opposite of Josh’s. Edge is fearless, unfriendly, and threatening.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your concern.”

Narrowing his eyes, he doesn’t respond. But it’s not the end of the conversation.

16

EDGE

I purposely ignoredNinja all week. It’s been hard as hell. I can’t get her out of my fucking head. I have to say, she hurt my ego a bit by not kissing me back. I know it was a ruse. She wanted to, but she wasn’t about to let her walls down—not yet. I have no idea who started the rumor about us fucking, but I sure as hell put a stop to it as soon as I heard the whispers. Although, if I were smart, I would have let everyone talk shit about us. Then maybe at least half the guys would stop fucking staring at her like she’s their next hookup.

Ninja’s bike is still in the parking lot when the guys and I leave for my house to train. There’s a fight coming up soon, and this time, I’ll be the one in the cage. A lot is on the line: large bets, big-name players, and very few rules.

Later, after practice, when I drive Kade back to school to get his car, Ninja’s bike is still in the parking lot. Like at the party when I saw her take off, I resist the urge to listen to my gut and leave her alone.

It’s almost eight at night, but several people are still in the library. No one looks up as I enter. As focused as these students are, it’ll take a hell of a lot more than someone walking bytheir table to snag their attention. I walk down the center aisle, glancing left and right until I spot my little Ninja. I call myself out for what I am becoming, a fucking stalker. She’s sitting at the far table in the corner, her usual table. Books and notebooks are scattered over it. Anyone paying attention would notice her head bobbing slightly to the beat filtering through her earbuds. I want to know what she’s listening to.

Just like in the lifeguard stand, I have no idea what my intentions are. But after the other day, when I questioned her about Josh and her smug response, I couldn’t let it go. The top several buttons of her dress shirt are undone. Her tie is loose. The knot rests on the smooth skin between her breasts.

I pull out the chair in front of her and unapologetically sit down. Her eyes pop up to me and then slowly narrow. She doesn’t bother to acknowledge me further as she looks back at her notes. With my intrusion, I know she’s not seeing her books, her notes, or anything else anymore. Her head is consumed with me. I reach over and pluck one of her earbuds out. The music blares from the tiny speaker. It’s an alternative rock band I can’t place.

“Don’t you have better things to do on a Friday night than hang out in the library?”

“Don’t you?” she retorts. She reaches across the table to grab her earbud back, but I yank it out of her reach.

“Yeah, like keeping you away from that asshole Josh.”

“And you’re not an asshole?” she snaps. She starts to pack her shit, then pauses.

I inwardly laugh. “Oh, I am an asshole, all right. I just don’t try to hide it.”

“At least you’re honest.” She closes her book and then opens it again. “You know what? I came here to study, so I won’t be the one to leave. You will.”

“Nah, not yet. I was thinking of studying myself.”

She looks around me, then at the floor. “Kind of hard to study when you don’t have anything to study with.”

“My studies require less bookwork and more observation.” And in my quick observations, I notice her plaid uniform skirt peeking out of her backpack. Fuck me. I run my fingers through my hair. This girl does not play fair.

She pushes back her chair and stands. I get up, too, following her down the main walkway to the back of the library. Her untucked shirt falls just below her ass, making it look like she’s not wearing anything underneath it. But I know she has on those tiny, tight-ass shorts underneath. I don’t stop at her ass but continue to trace the back of her body. Down the back of her tan thighs, then toned calves, all the way to her boots. Fuck… I rub my hand over my smooth jaw.

Turning down the science aisle, she peruses, or pretends to, the spines. As I glance at the titles, I notice we’re in the biology section, so maybe she does need a book, and she’s not just trying to avoid me. She pauses and pulls a book off the shelf. Still holding onto her earbud, I shake it in my palm like a pair of dice, then tuck it into my front pocket.

When she tries to pass, I block her way. It’s a move she’s familiar with, so she turns to go in the opposite direction. I grab her wrist and spin her back toward me. Her hand darts up to jab me in my side. Catching me off guard, I let out a grunt and a harsh breath.

“What the hell was that for?”

“I warned you not to touch me on my first day of school.”

“You didn’t seem to complain when we were in the lifeguard stand.”

She looks away from me and attempts to pull her wrist free.

“Calm down, I just want to talk,” I say. She stills, but her eyes are fixed on me with fire. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”